Senior MP Rejects Russia's Proposal on Iran's N. Issue

Service : Politic

TEHRAN, July 16 (ICANA) – A senior Iranian legislator lauded Moscow for its positive attitude to the settlement of Iran-West nuclear standoff, but meantime reiterated that Russia's "step-by-step" proposal is not a proper solution since it would be a return to step one.

Saturday, July 16, 2011 10:31:10 PM

Head of the parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Boroujerdi, hailed Russia's positive attitude to help remove obstacles created by the West over the issue but said that the proposal would be a repetitious attempt and a return to the first place.

"Returning to the first place [over Iran's nuclear issue] cannot be a proper solution. But the fact that Western countries would once again review [Iran's] answers to the IAEA (the International Atomic Energy Agency) questions could refresh their memories on the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program," Boroujerdi told ICANA.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on July 13 laid out a new "step-by-step" approach that would enable the Islamic Republic to take steps to address questions raised by the IAEA.

According to the proposed plan, Iran can revive negotiations to alleviate individual concerns of the IAEA about its nuclear activities and be rewarded along the way by partial removal of sanctions.

Boroujerdi pointed out that Iran already answered all questions by the IAEA under a modality plan and that the IAEA verified Iran's answers at the time.

Iran says based on the modality plan agreed between the Islamic Republic and the IAEA in 2007, the Agency should announce the Iranian nuclear case closed as Tehran has addressed all issues between Iran and the IAEA.

Tehran says it has been fully cooperative with the Agency over its nuclear program, urging the body not to be swayed by certain Western countries.